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Broadband Last Mile: Easton Utilities COO John Horner on “Connect Talbot”

July 20, 2021 by The Spy 1 Comment

Shocking as it might sound, 3,600 homes in Talbot County, perhaps representing some 10,000 people, still do not have broadband access in 2021. It’s an incredible number when one remembers that our entire population is only 37,000.

As the result of its rural character and relatively odd geographic footprint, the reason for that high number becomes clear but so much for the solution for quite some time.

And the consequences for those families, particularly since the Covid pandemic hit, have been significant. Those can be seen with children unable to do school work, remote workers unable to connect to their office, farmers unable to access markets, and countless other ways that place all those homes at a severe disadvantage.

But help is finally on the way. Thanks to a US Department of Agriculture grant, Easton Utilities anticipates almost two-thirds of that 3,600 households will have that critical access over the next five years. In fact, in some cases, “Connect Talbot,” the name of the Easton Utilities undertaking, will have access much sooner than that.

The Spy sat down with Easton Utilities COO John Horner a few weeks ago to get more details on Connect Talbot.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Talbot Connect please go here.

Mid-Shore Community Foundation Appoints New Members

July 13, 2021 by Mid-Shore Community Foundation Leave a Comment

L-R: Heather Guerieri, Harriette Lowery, Greg Meekins, Stephen Rideout, Tolbert Rowe, and Charles Taylor.

The Mid-Shore Community Foundation announces the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors – Heather Guerieri, Harriette Lowery, Greg Meekins, Steve Rideout, Tolbert Rowe, and Charles Taylor.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors consists of twenty-nine individuals from throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties. All members are volunteers and together they represent a diverse range of knowledge and experience.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome these new members,” said Buck Duncan, Foundation President. “We also thank Susan Chaffinch, Ken Kozel, Rick Scobey, Brett Summers, and Moorhead Vermilye who are completing their terms. We are fortunate to have such talented and supportive volunteers.”

Heather Guerieri (Queen Anne’s County) has dedicated her career to caring for individuals at the end-of-life. Heather serves as CEO of Compass and as President of the Board of Directors for the Hospice and Palliative Care Network of Maryland. She previously served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2014–2020.

Harriette Lowery (Talbot County), born and raised in Talbot County, works at Chesapeake College encouraging and supporting the academic and social growth of the student population. Harriette is a member of the Frederick Douglass Honor Society, a member of St. Stephen’s A.M.E. Church in Unionville, and a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Baltimore. Her labor of love is working with organizations on the Eastern Shore to educate, promote, and preserve the history and the contributions of African American citizens on the Eastern Shore.

Greg Meekins (Dorchester County) retired from a long career with the Dorchester County School System where he served as Administrator for Alternative Learning, Supervisor of Pupil Services, and Principal of North Dorchester High School. Greg is a long-time member of the Dorchester Elks Lodge and he previously served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2013–2019.

Steve Rideout (Dorchester County) retired as the Chief Judge of the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Steve was a member of the Board of Directors for Foster Care Alumni of America and one of his proudest recognitions was being named as National CASA Judge of the year. More recently, he served as a Commissioner for the City of Cambridge and served on the Legislative Committee of the Maryland Municipal League. Judge Rideout now serves as an advocate and consultant for child welfare and juvenile justice issues.

Tolbert Rowe (Caroline County), a lifelong Eastern Shoreman, is the Vice President at Bay Capital Mortgage in Easton, Maryland and is very active in the community. Tolbert served on the Caroline County Board of Education for 18 years, 4 years as President. He serves as Executive Director of Channel Marker Foundation and as Treasurer/Coach for Mid Shore Challengers.

Charles Taylor (Kent County) retired from a long career in writing, editing, and media relations. During his career, Charles served as a Senior Communications Representative and Manager of major companies, including Dominion Virginia Power and Pepco. In retirement, Charles has committed himself and his passion for the arts to the betterment of Kent County, serving as Vice Chair of the National Music Festival, Vice President of Kent Cultural Alliance, and as a Director for Sultana Education Foundation.

Established in 1992, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties. Since its founding, the Foundation has received over $90.7 million in contributions and has awarded more than $45.7 million in grants and scholarships. For additional information about the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, including a complete list of Board Members, visit: www.mscf.org/board.

Mid-Shore Commerce: Ford Risks Their Brand on New Mustang and Wins this Time

June 3, 2021 by The Spy Leave a Comment

In the annals of American business, nothing is more dangerous than fooling around with a company’s hard-earned brand. And over the past fifty years, there are ample examples of boardroom decisions leading to disastrous results along those lines.

From Coca-Cola’s “New Coke” to Cadillac’s subcompact Cimarron, the history of marketing failures is a painful lesson for even the most successful enterprises, and none more than Ford Motor Company with its epic case of the Edsel in 1958.

So when we heard that Ford was rolling out an SUV-style electric vehicle using the Mustang badge, it was hard not to wonder why the car company would be willing to risk the Mustang’s hard-won prestige on something entirely different from the Pony class they had invented when the first Mustang was rolled out at the 1964 World’s Fair.

As with all things related to Ford, we drove down to Preston to talk with Michael Mitchell at Preston Auto. Michael, a professional actor on the Eastern Shore when not selling automobiles, couldn’t wait to start promoting the new line of Mustangs. A student of the classic Mustangs, he made a compelling argument that the new Mustang Mach-E was the perfect successor to the iconic heritage of the gas-fueled models. And it didn’t hurt that he started with the fact that even the entry-level Mach was capable of 0-60 in 5.9 seconds.

In our chat with Michael, we talk about the differences and similarities of the new Mustang and this bold move by Ford to be the first of the legacy car manufacturers to led the consumers into a new era of transportation.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about the new Mustang, please visit Preston Ford’s website here.

Darius Johnson Selected as Executive Director of Kent Attainable Housing

May 10, 2021 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

Lani Seikaly, President, Kent Attainable Housing, has announced the selection of Darius Johnson as its first Executive Director. “The Board of Directors felt Johnson’s prior leadership experiences, innovative problem solving skills, demonstrated ability to form partnerships, and passion for making homeownership an equitable opportunity and a strategy to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty all made him the perfect executive director for Kent Attainable Housing.”

A Kent County High School graduate, Johnson received the Washington College Vincent Hynson Scholarship in 2011 and graduated from there in 2015 with a degree in Business Management. For the past three years he has worked for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as Communications Manager and previously as their Community Revitalization Project Manager. Prior to that, he was with the Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation. He has had extensive public speaking, fund-raising, and event planning experience. He currently serves on the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area Board of Directors and the Washington College Alumni Board.

“This is an exciting opportunity and I am energized to serve the community that I call home. I have admired the mission of KAH since its beginnings, and I am committed to helping this organization grow while uplifting Kent County’s hardworking families,” said Johnson.

Sam Shoge, Executive Director of Kent County Chamber of Commerce, applauded Johnson’s appointment. “Darius has consistently been an advocate for those that are underrepresented so it is clear his heart and head are in the right place to lead Kent Attainable Housing into the future. His passion for the community and his steadfast commitment to the mission of Kent Attainable Housing is the type of transformational leadership Kent County needs.”

As a part of his work with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, he has had experience in building partnerships with other non-profit and stakeholder groups. “Darius is passionate about this community and works tirelessly to support it. As a collaborator, he is generous with his time and is a gifted spokesperson for work he believes in,” said Darran Tilghman, Director of Community Engagement for ShoreRivers. Johnson is a 2021 National Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.

Kent Attainable Housing seeks to create home ownership opportunities for local, low-income families in need of safe, decent and affordable housing by building or renovating homes. KAH builds the capacity of applicants to successfully own a home through required workshops in financial literacy, homeownership, and budget management. Community volunteers and partners help make the homes affordable and help mentor applicants through the process. The first home, on College Avenue in Chestertown, has been completed, and the future homeowners have been selected for the second home, soon to be underway in the Butlertown community of Worton.

For information about Kent Attainable Housing, go to https://kentattainablehousing.org or email kentattainablehousing@gmail.com.

F3 Tech Opens Applications for Program on AgTech, Aquaculture and Energy Storage

May 6, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

F3 Tech, a leading commercialization program for early-stage companies, is looking for innovations in the agriculture, aquaculture and energy storage sectors to participate in its 4^th Accelerator Program. Startups and early-stage companies within alternative feed, energy storage, crop health, advanced chemical discovery and agricultural biotech solutions are the focus for this year’s Accelerator and encouraged to apply.

“These are growing and dynamic sectors and we are excited to work with these companies to bring their innovations to market on behalf of our partners in industry,” said Chris Hlubb, Program Director of F3 Tech Accelerator Program, now in its fourth year. “We have developed our most advanced application process yet using Qualtrics software to engineer the process for our key topics of interest. We hope it drives further applicants and awareness of the program.”

The F3 Tech Accelerator Program requires no equity from participants, a unique value proposition for many early-stage companies. Up to $450,000 in funding and professional services will be available to companies in this year’s program. They will receive:

– Funding to expedite commercialization

– Executive support and coaching to prepare each company for potential investment

– Executive guidance for potential acquisition and/or commercial launch

– Connections to related industry clients, investors and customers

The F3 Tech Accelerator Program has worked hard to attract companies led by under-represented groups. Since its inception, one-third of the participating companies have had female leaders and one-third have had immigrant or first-generation leaders. In 2020, 60% were led by members of minority groups and 80% had executive team members from minority groups. Participants in last year’s program can be found here.

The deadline to apply for the F3 Tech Accelerator Program is June 30, 2021. Finalists will be announced in August and the program will start on September 7, 2021.

To apply for the F3 Tech Accelerator Program, please visit: https://f3tech.org/program/accelerator/

Mid-Shore Commerce: Preston Lets a Bronco Out of the Gate

April 27, 2021 by The Spy Leave a Comment

When the Spy started talking to Preston Ford a year or so ago, our interest in the company had very little to do with cars. What was more intriguing for us was that this very rural car business had grown into one of the top twenty Ford dealerships in the entire country.

One way a company can make that remarkable climb is good marketing, and that was the second reason we found the Preston story so compelling. Over the course of a few decades, Preston has mastered the art of selling their cars through the creative use of the internet, social media, and clever and unique branding, which included their award-winning “iFrog” campaign.

A second way is to build a loyal customer base, and for Preston, there was a simple strategy for that; give back to the community. From the moment Preston started as a business, its mission was to tie its car sales to the support of local charities.

But the third factor was something that initially escaped the Spy’s overview; a car dealership needed good and exciting cars. And in the case of Ford Motor Company, it seems like almost every quarter, they are releasing some of the most advanced, technically rich automobiles in the industry.

A case in point is the return of the classic Bronco. A legend long before O.J. Simpson was spotted escaping justice on a Lost Angeles freeway; the compact sports utility car was an immediate hit when it was first released in 1966 to compete with Jeep and International Harvester models. But oddly, the Bronco was pulled from Ford’s lineup in 1999, presumably outliving its intended market.

Nonetheless, due to Ford’s bold decision to end the production of sedans last year, the Bronco badge is back. And to the glee of many, it has maintained the same characteristics that made the original so popular, including the same boxy shape, an interior design that could withstand the foulest of weather, and a reasonable price tag.

The Spy drove out to Preston last week as the new Broncos were arriving and spend some time with Preston’s Greg Rohman to understand the SUV’s evolution, rebirth, and the exceptional demand the new Bronco has already created with over 200,000 customers who have already made reservations to get their own.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Preston Ford please go here.

Kent County Chamber of Commerce Seeks Nominations for Community Excellence Awards

March 24, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Chikki Shajwani, Molly’s Place, shaking hands with State Senator Steve Hershey after receiving award; Delegate Jay Jacobs in background.

The Kent County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2020 – 2021 Community Excellence Awards. Nominations can be submitted online at www.kentchamber.org.

The annual Community Excellence Awards recognize businesses, non-profits, community organizations, and individuals who, during the past year, have excelled at serving and making a positive impact in our community.

“The Chamber Community Excellence Awards are a great way to recognize and celebrate the wonderful impact that our leaders, businesses, and organizations have on the community. We hope you will take the time to nominate those you feel are deserving,” says Bryan Matthews, President of the Kent Chamber.

Anyone may submit a nomination for a business, non-profit, community organization, or individual. Nominees do not need to be based in Kent County, but Kent County residents must benefit from the nominees’ services. Self-nominations are welcome and there is no restriction on the number of nominations one can submit.

Bob Ramsey, The Finishing Touch, addressing audience after receiving award.

Four Community Excellence Awards will be presented to businesses, nonprofits, or community organizations and one Community Excellence Award will be presented to an individual. Factors that nominations should be based on include, but are not limited to, community service hours committed, money fundraised or capital projects completed to benefit residents within Kent County, support showed towards vital community institutions, projects that improve the environmental and ecological well-being of the county’s landscape, innovation in pivoting operations to deal with the effects of COVID-19.

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, April 9. To submit a nomination and learn more about the Community Excellence Awards and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.kentchamber.org.

About the Kent County Chamber of Commerce
With more than 300 member businesses, nonprofits, and individuals, the Chamber is Kent County’s premier business-to-business facilitator. Through our many unique programs, events, and advocacy, we provide a platform for leaders from the private, public, and non-profit sectors to engage with each other to grow their respective organizations for the ultimate benefit of Kent County and its residents.

Kent County Chamber of Commerce Recognize Contributions of Outgoing Board Members

March 12, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Bryan Matthews, Kent Chamber President, presenting Stew Seitz with a chamber plaque of recognition.

The Kent County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to recognize Stew Seitz and Karen Couch for their outstanding contributions to the Kent Chamber Board of Directors and the Kent County community.

Having completed two successive terms, the tenure of both Seitz and Couch came to a close with a long list of accomplishments.

“Stew and Karen are both outstanding leaders for our community and we are extremely appreciative of their commitment to the Chamber during their tenure on the Board. They have given generously of their time, energy, and creativity to make the Chamber better, and to provide opportunities for businesses in Kent County,” says Bryan Matthews, President of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce.

Stew Seitz, Founder and CEO of Encore Healthcare Management and Advisory Services, served on the Kent Chamber Board of Directors from 2013 – February 2021 and held the position of President and Past-President. Reflecting on his time on the board, Stew shared the following: “I am certainly proud of the role I played in facilitating the strategic planning process which resulted in the creation of a master blueprint. This plan helped serve as a roadmap for the Kent Chamber and its executive by articulating the key result areas to focus attention.”

Bryan Matthews, Kent Chamber President, presenting Karen Couch with a chamber plaque of recognition.

In addition to guiding the Kent Chamber through a strategic planning process, as president, Stew was responsible for running the chamber’s monthly board meetings. “I always tried to keep monthly board meetings upbeat, positive, and stimulating. We reintroduced guest speakers in a variety of disciplines to address board members on relevant topics affecting the county. This allowed our board members to be well informed on the county’s most critical issues and take action in addressing them.”

Karen Couch, Superintendent with the Kent County Public Schools, served on the Kent Chamber Board of Directors from 2015 – December 2020. Karen shared the following when asked to reflect on her time on the board: “I enjoyed my time on the Board because I had the opportunity to interact with individuals on the Board who were passionate about moving our county forward.” In addition, Karen served on the board’s awards committee and was instrumental in laying the foundation for a refreshed version of the chamber’s annual awards presentation, debuting in the spring of this year.

Main Street Awards SERI Grants to 29 Businesses

March 7, 2021 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

Main Street Historic Chestertown has announced the re-granting of $157,600 in Maryland Strong Economic Recovery Initiative (SERI) funding to 29 downtown businesses in grant amounts ranging from $1,000 to $9,500.

Criteria for grant awards and amounts included the effect of COVID restrictions on an applicant’s business, the number of employees and hours of operation, and its overall impact on how residents and visitors experience downtown.

The Recovery Grants Panel that worked with Main Street Executive Director Kay MacIntosh to process applications included Main Street Board of Directors members Carolyn Spencer Brown, Anne Forrest and Mike Smith, and three business mentors from the area chapter of SCORE – Tim Abeska, Zane Carter and Jeff Grotsky.

Main Street Chestertown’s SERI grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development also includes $25,000 for the organization to use to market downtown as a destination.

The State allocated a total of $7 million in relief awards to support small business recovery efforts in the 41 Main Street communities across Maryland. All of the state’s 33 designated Main Street Maryland communities and Baltimore City’s eight designated Main Street neighborhoods applied for and received awards to support their operating and capital grants to businesses in their districts. A full list of awardees is available here.

In Chestertown, every applicant was awarded a grant. Those recipients include Bad Al’s, Bee Crafty, The Kitchen at the Imperial, Evergrain Bread Company, Mimi’s Closet, Village House, Massoni Gallery, Robert Ortiz Studios, Empty Hangers, Sarah Paige Salon, Casa Carmen, Spa Angels, Tiny Tots, Zelda’s, Linda Roy Walls Photographs and Memories, Houston’s Dockside Emporium, Allied Shore Solutions, The Finishing Touch, Coco’s Pet Boutique, Music Life, Physically Fitch, 98 Cannon Riverside Grille, Big Mixx’s Beautiful Beginnings, Walnut & Wool, The Retriever, K&L Auto Services, Figg’s Ordinary, Les Poissons Gallery, and Riverside Unique.

Main Street Historic Chestertown is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit whose mission is to foster an inviting, diverse and prosperous downtown. Its goals include increasing the number and variety of successful downtown businesses, supporting a diverse range of activities that attract both residents and visitors to downtown, enhancing downtown’s streetscapes, and encouraging an increase in the number of downtown residents. Learn more at mainstreetchestertown.org. For more information about the State’s Main Street Maryland program, visit mainstreetmaryland.org.

New Partnership Between Eastern Shore Food Lab at WC and Local Baker Rise Is a Recipe for Success

March 6, 2021 by Washington College News Service 8 Comments

The Eastern Shore Food Lab (ESFL) at Washington College is joining forces with local start-up sourdough baker Rise, adding product sales to the established ESFL space at 236 Cannon Street and collaborating on programming that meets their shared mission of promoting nourishing foods.

Rise founder Brianna Schindler and Bill Schindler pictured outside of the ESFL/Rise location on Cannon Street.

This innovative partnership is a natural fit with the Eastern Shore Food Lab’s focus on a hands-on approach that uses food to reconnect with what it means to be human. The three pillars of ESFL are research, teaching and production. Augmenting operations so that the cutting-edge facility also serves as a distribution point for Rise’s handmade products brings the third pillar of production to life in a way that adds significant value for Washington College students, faculty and staff alike.

“This exciting collaboration is all about creating the ability to simultaneously inspire, educate and nourish anyone who walks through the doors of the ESFL,” said Dr. Bill Schindler, ESFL Director.

With this new partnership, Rise – a start-up focused on creating nourishing foods for the community — is able to move into a downtown space that makes its high-quality products readily accessible to the community. Subsequently, by basing operations out of the ESFL facility, they are providing real-life opportunities for Washington College students to be a part of an authentic entrepreneurial venture through internships, employment and learning approaches.

Additionally, the joint venture will further enhance the ever-growing culinary landscape of Chestertown while fueling local economic growth and creating new employment opportunities.

Rise got its start a year ago, when the pandemic began. When the shutdown and subsequent food shortages occurred, Schindler and his oldest daughter, Brianna, went to work in the kitchen, baking and then donating hundreds of loaves of sourdough bread to families in need. It was that experience that gave rise to the official formation of a sourdough baking business.

“It’s amazing to see what started as a 16-year-old’s simple idea to bake sourdough is ‘rising’ into a commercial kitchen where we will be able to expand beyond sourdough bread and produce a bunch of new food products to nourish the community,” said Christina Schindler, owner.

Rise is currently delivering orders throughout Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties, only on Fridays. Orders can also be picked up at a few other locations around the area including Unity Nursery in Church Hill, Ten Eyck Brewery in Queenstown and the Kent Island Farmer’s Market at the Cult Classic Brewery (Thursday). Beginning March 12, 236 Cannon Street will officially be added as a pick-up location, operating between 2 and 5 PM on Fridays. Availability is expected to increase to include additional days and products such as nixtamalized tortillas handmade from heirloom Oaxacan maize once the new operation is fully up and running.

For more information and to order products, go here.

About the Eastern Shore Food Lab

The Eastern Shore Food Lab at Washington College optimizes personal and community health by drawing upon the dietary past that built us as a species. We research, reimagine, and share strategies that meet and exceed our biological and cultural needs. We transition culture by strengthening the ties between environment, society, family, and ourselves through food as we address issues of sustainability, food access, and dietary and social health. We provide a model that institutions within any region can emulate, achieving zero waste by conscientious design and a commitment to revitalize human and ecological communities with every action.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

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